NEC Corporation has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Convergys’ Information Management (IM) business, which delivers business support systems (BSS) transformations to communications service providers around the world.

The $449m transaction covers all of IM’s business, including smart suite products, across different verticals including communications, utilities and logistics.

The acquisition is expected to enable NEC provide offerings to service providers to transform their BSS and create the foundation for billing, customer-care and revenue management.

Upon completion of the acquisition, Convergys’ IM business and organization will be integrated into NEC subsidiary NetCracker Technology Corporation, which will be responsible for all business operations of the combined entity.

NetCracker will add key BSS software and services to its telecom operations and management solutions (TOMS) suite, creating an end-to-end portfolio that will cater service providers and other industry verticals through the cloud, as a managed service, or as an in-premise system.

NEC, NetCracker and IM’s combined resources, including software, services, data centres and R&D investment, will create a Telecom software-focused business.

NEC said the acquisition is slated to be completed by the end of second quarter of 2012.